The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-09-17
A PENAL COLONY.

How is it possible for Americans to
favor the monstrous proposition to es-
tahlish a penal colony? To our minds
no disposition of tho criminals of the
country could be fought with greater
evil, or be made greater menance to
American liberty.
Have penal colonies proved such un-
aduIteraied blessings In other coun-
tries:
How is it with Russia? Do the
poor exiles to Siberia, the voice OF
whose woes has filed tho vide expanse
of the world and stirred the pity and
Indignation of every man with heart
in his breast, present a spectacle to be
einulated In a free and enlightened
American republic:
And yet Gov. McEnery and the
Monroe Bulletin say we should estab-
lish Siberia in free America!
Hear what the Bulletin says in ap-
proving this scheme:
cit must not be imagined that we
advocate any rose water or sentiment
tai system OF penal servltude. These
convicts arc generally enemies of So
ciety and therefore must be restrained
from committing further crimes against
the better and more law-abiding clas-
SEES. n We all know what the
uncultivaled human animal Is when
invested with absolute and irresponsi-
BILE power-particularly over these
pnriahs of society 1cho hare no friends,
ana .c|tose pleas for mercy could no more
tie heard MaW could the cries Of the
tortured rictims ,cithin the dungeons
of the Spanish MquisHion.'
And yet the Bulletin and Gov. Nc
tinery would consign these poor friend
less wretches, IA often unfortunate or
weak as wilfully criminal, to tho ten
der mercics of "the uucultivated hu-
man ANIMAL" removed at a distance
from tho sight of the cultivated human
animal, and with even the small
chances for human treatment which
they now enjoy, taken from them.
The editor of the Bulletin, Wethink,
prites himself on his JelfersOnian
Democracy, on his States Rights
record, on his opposition to the Blair
educational bill, and 10 every meas
ure which tends to centraliZe the pow
crs of government, and yet he coolly
approves II proposition TO take the
police OF the States criminals ont o!
the States hands and transfer il to the
federal government.
Such a suggestion is undemocratic-
American. II looks very much
like subterfuge, an escape from the
embarrassing position In which Gov.
Mct.ncry found himself placed by the
pertinent questions of the laboring
men Of New Orleans and it does look
like the Bulletin Endorses the sugges-
ton, not because it approves II, but
because it feels compelled to assist the
Governor out of his dilemma.
Gov. McEuery's record on tho con-
vict lease question will not bear inves-
tiga,ion, and he, and his friends are
very willing to divert public attention
from it to some new issue.
A penal colony is not the only nor
the best remedy for the lease system,
and 1t isa shame on the Democracy Of
Louisiana that this old Radical abuse
should he still found To exist in this
State.
The time has not yet arrived for
America to adopt the policy of Russia,
or to commit herself to the horrors OF Il
peuai colony.
God grant IL may he long ere exile
be one of the punishments denounced
by American laws against American
citizens.
The Nichols neesing at Shreveport
saen,s IN have oysrshaloYe2 that of